Orusa Shorts
by Oz37
Summary: This is a collection of vignettes featuring a fully-realized Trainer and his team, whose origin story is the Orusa Adventures. These tales focus on Oz's relationships with his eclectic party of Pokémon and what they may be doing after besting the Champion and saving the region from destruction.
1. The Storyteller

Oz rested peacefully with the brim of his hat pulled low over his face, his back propped against the tree topping the hill-like back of his sleeping Torterra, Gaia. Overhead, Flutter the Swoobat hung upside down from a branch by clasping it with her tail. Her furred form swayed in the occasional breeze, leaving her to gather her wings about her to brace against the slight chill as she dozed. Caesar, Oz's Arcanine, lay nearby, sitting guard like a Chinese Shisa statue with his mighty maned head held high. The other Pokémon of the team resided in their Pokéballs, still recovering from the intense tournament from the previous night. The midday sun beamed above them, and it was the perfect time to relax and unwind from another victory.

Oz's messenger bag was lying against Gaia's grassy carapace, the buckles fastened snuggly and the strap slung around one of the jagged rocks jutting from the Pokémon's back. Caesar eyed it, suddenly caught by an intense curiosity. His master held the items within it very dear, and the large dog-like creature couldn't help but wonder about its contents. Caesar could be described as many things; brave, loyal, proud, and at times quite rambunctious, but never mischievous. Now, however, he was fighting a strong temptation of a very roguish nature. Soon, he found himself inching toward the bag on his belly, his head ducked low and his eyes locked on the object.

Hesitating only briefly, Caesar gingerly took the pack in his mouth and edged it up the rock, struggling to free the strap from Gaia's back without waking anyone. He laid the pack on the ground soon after, glancing at his trainer often. Oz's hat obscured his face, but he didn't stir once, enough to grant Caesar the courage to continue in his subversion.

Now he came to the buckles. His paws were much too large to do much help, and using his teeth would mar the bag terribly. He crossed his paws and placed his chin upon them, considering his dilemma for a moment. Tiredness soon took hold, and the Arcanine's eyelids began to droop. Suddenly, he heard a faint click, and his eyes popped open to see the bag's clasps unbuckling themselves as if by magic. A low whine escaped him as he continued to stare blankly until movement from above caught his attention. There was Flutter still hanging upside down, her winds spread some and her head twisted in an attempt to view Caesar upright. Her eyes glowed a faint pink as she used Psychic to open the bag with ease.

Caesar whined again and wagged his tail at his companion, who silently flitted from Gaia's tree to the ground by Oz's bag and waddled closer on her feet. Whereas this behavior was somewhat out of character for Caesar, Flutter was most comfortable with mischief and found herself gleefully interested with helping out in the investigation of the master's possessions. Caesar, glad to have the assistance, nosed the flap of the bag open and tried to peer inside. Flutter, impatient as always, hopped upon it and clasped it with her feet, flying upward and noisily spilling the contents all over the grass. Caesar's eyes snapped back to Oz and Flutter spun around, both waiting tensed and ready for trouble. Oz didn't budge, so the two slowly returned to their business.

Flutter dropped the bag back on the ground and hopped over to the items, and Caesar bent his head over them. The Pokédex which they'd come to know was facedown, various medicinal items and spare Pokéballs strewn around it. Nothing grabbed interest until they noticed another book sprawled open to one side. The two Pokémon crowded around it, Flutter's small head dwarfed by Caesar's, and they slowly managed to read the title: _Once Upon._ Caesar righted the book with his nose, and Flutter began to flip the pages with the tip of one wing.

The first few pages were beautifully illustrated, colorful images of fairy tale creatures and fantasy landscapes enrapturing the two of them. Caesar woofed lowly at each picture while Flutter squeaked excitedly, and the two failed to notice the low groan of someone awoken by their activity. Gaia, blinking her bleary eyes slowly, yawned and looked around to see her two partners absorbed in the book. She stood slowly to her feet and lumbered nearer, carefully pushing her head in next to the surprised duo to see what was going on. Soon, she too was marveling at the fanciful portraits.

Finally, Flutter turned a page and they were met by one without a picture. Instead, it was small print scrawled across the paper, indecipherable to the three. They gazed at the page and then at each other glumly, and Flutter began to flip through once again. Page after page, they saw the tiny writing and no pictures. Flutter's Psychic soon took over, flying through the pages until they finally stop halfway through the book. The page was blank, not a single jot upon it. The three were now thoroughly confused, starting at first at the book and then at each other.

"It isn't finished yet, guys." The three scrambled wildly, Gaia tucking as much of herself into her shell as she could, Flutter rocketing into the sky, and Caesar up on his feet and staring with wide eyes at Gaia's back. Oz sat with his arms folded across his chest and his eyes peering from beneath his hat, his mouth pressed into a stern line. As Flutter slowly descended and Gaia peeked her head back out, Caesar faced Oz with his head hung low, ready to be scolded for his behavior.

"Flutter, bring me the book." Flutter quickly retrieved it while Caesar continued to stand by mutely. Oz took the tome into his hands and flipped through the first few pages slowly, taking his time as the three Pokémon stood by tensely. Slowly, a smirk spread across the Trainer's face, soon transforming into a grin accompanied by a hearty laugh. Flutter was first to be relieved, chittering and doing aerial somersaults while Gaia hummed happily beneath Oz. Caesar, however, was inconsolable, stepping forward and placing his large head on his master's lap. Oz laughed warmly again, kissing the Arcanine soundly upon the snout and rubbing one of his big ears. Despite his remorse, Caesar's tail began to wag vigorously.

"What if I read it to you guys?" the young man asked his companions. He flipped past the illustrations to the first page of writing, settling back against the tree once more and clearing his throat. Gaia lowered herself back down, settling in to listen, as Flutter returned to her branch right above Oz. Caesar whined again, looking at the mess of Oz's things on the ground, but the Trainer shook his head with a grin and simply said, "Later," and pulled the Pokémon's head back into his lap.

"Once upon a time, there was a lonely Trainer. Little did he know that he would soon embark on the adventure of a lifetime. During this adventure, he would struggle against the forces of evil, encounter beings of incredible strength and wonder, and learn the true meanings of friendship and love. This journey would introduce him to a whole array of people and Pokémon that were destined for greatness, like a Gentle Giant," Oz tapped Gaia's shell with his heel, "an Impish Acrobat," he glanced upward at the hanging Flutter, "and a Brave Guardian." Oz paused, looking fondly at the face in his lap, the face of his first Pokémon and one of his truest friends.

"Do you guys like the story so far?" The three responded simultaneously, Gaia bellowing strongly, Flutter letting out a shrill cry, and Caesar unleashing a piercing howl. Oz smiled once more before returning to the page, continuing the story of how he had come to be the happiest Trainer imaginable.


	2. The Nightmare

The rain fell in sheets, and thunder rolled ominously in the distance. A chill swept across Oz's shoulders, pulling his gaze away from the dark skies. He stepped away from the window and looked around the cabin. It was just a medium-sized room with a cot in one corner and a cabinet against the opposite wall. Rangers kept the resting house well stocked for trainers in need of a break on the lengthy route by the sea, but Oz was hard pressed to consider this place a safe haven even with the squall raging outside.

After pacing up and down for a time and rifling through the cabinet aimlessly, Oz crawled onto the small bed with absolutely no intention of sleeping. The storm wasn't the problem; Oz usually loved thunderstorms. It was the storm _here_ , in _this cabin_ , at _night._ He was flooded with memories of a near identical night from a year ago, and he was terrified the events would somehow repeat themselves.

Though he desperately needed the company of his partners, the frightened trainer had put them into their Pokéballs to spare them what he now suffered alone. Every lightning bolt and every thunderclap rattled the cabin violently, and Oz could barely contain the whimpers caught in his throat. When he finally could take no more, he lunged off the bed for his bag that he had dropped near the window and grabbed the first ball he could get his hands on. Though he had grabbed at random, somehow he knew that the companion he especially needed right then would be in it.

"Rigg!" he exclaimed as he pressed the capsule's release button. Oz threw his arms around the big blue Feraligatr, trembling and near tears. Rigg immediately drew his trainer close and grumbled almost threateningly at their surroundings. The bipedal crocodile knew exactly what was wrong with this place. Oz clung to him, taking comfort in the Pokémon's protectiveness and cool skin in the muggy atmosphere, while Rigg peered out the window, searching the skies and sea through the deluge for signs of danger.

"I'm okay now," Oz sniffled, pulling back from his companion and wiping his face. He smiled weakly at Rigg, but the brutish-looking Feraligatr grumbled again and continued to watch dutifully. Oz patted his Pokémon's belly fondly and returned to the cot, feeling immensely safer with Rigg standing guard.

Oz didn't know how long he dozed, but he was suddenly awoken by a distant rumble unlike any thunder he'd ever heard. As he slowly sat up on the mattress, another rumble echoed much nearer than the last, sending another chill down his spine. Rigg stood rigidly at the window, his huge jaw set tightly. Oz moved to him and looked out at the object of his fears moving toward the cabin. An enormous shadow outlined by the lightning slithered through the sea, intermittently unleashing bellows from its gaping maw. As it moved nearer, the creature's scales gleamed crimson red in the flashing light.

"A Red Gyarados," Oz choked out. Just like that night a year ago, the night Oz nearly died. The complete memory of that night crashed through his mind...

They had stopped to ride out the storm. Oz had only recently received his third badge, and a particularly jolly Totodile had just joined his merry band. He and his team were sleeping peacefully despite the storm when the scarlet monster attacked. With one unprovoked tail sweep, half the cabin was demolished and all but one of Oz's companions were critically incapacitated in the rubble. Oz sat vulnerably on the bed with little Rigg in his arms, the humongous sea serpent looming hungrily overhead. It considered him for a moment as he shivered in the rain, struggling to hold down the Totodile to keep him from harm. The Gyarados lashed out suddenly, and Oz flung Rigg from himself as he was dragged into sea. Rigg, however, recovered quickly and dove into the water, launching into a full assault on the creature's impenetrable hide. As the Gyarados swam deeper with its meal and Oz's time ran short, the desperate Totodile packed all his might into his jaws and used Bite on the monster's left eye. It shrieked in pain and released the trainer, who Rigg quickly grabbed and swam for the bank. Oz survived that night solely because of his new friend, but the traumatic event had haunted the two companions ever since.

Now, another crimson creature barreled across the water toward them, and Oz's terror froze him to the spot. Rigg, however, was suddenly on the move. With astonishing agility for his bulk, the Feraligatr swept through the cabin and out the door, preparing for battle.

"What are you doing?" Oz cried, chasing his Pokémon out into the rain and stopping short on the beach. The Gyarados had reached the bank and now writhed before them, one marled eye blinking more rapidly than the other healthy one. It was the very same monster from before, and its glower made its recognition of them evident. It roared menacingly, but Rigg squared off in front of Oz protectively and roared back in the beast's face.

A high-pressure blast of water fired from the Red Gyarados' mouth straight at Oz and Rigg, but the Feraligatr swiftly used his tail to knock Oz away from the danger zone. As the trainer struggled to rise a short distance away, Rigg shrugged off the Hydro Pump and bared his teeth at his opponent, a moment later lunging for the monster's throat. The Gyarados' bellow was cut short as its windpipe was crushed in Rigg's jaws, and it began to shake and flounce around in an attempt to dislodge its attacker.

Oz stood watching aghast, barely able to recognize the ferocious Pokémon now putting a vice grip on a creature three times its size. Rigg had never been cowardly, but the sheer violence the Pokémon now displayed was far out of his character. The red monster managed finally to fling Rigg away, locking it sights on Oz and grinning grotesquely. Just like that night before, it lunged at Oz, but this time it had no intention of dragging him into the sea; it was going to kill him then and there. Oz braced himself for the attack, but Rigg lurched into the creature's path and snapped a powerful Crunch across it's good eye.

The beast shrieked in agony, now fully blinded. It writhed and twitched in pain, retreating clumsily back into the sea. Rigg stood panting, shoulders hunched and jaw agape, and Oz slowly rose and placed a hand on his companion's scaled face. The Feraligatr flinched, then looked guiltily at his master.

"You saved me again," Oz said, his voice thick with emotion. The rain slowed to a drizzle, the clouds drifting apart and beams of sunlight descending from above. Oz and Rigg stared at each other, and their faces slowly broke into smiles. Soon, they were laughing gleefully and hugging each other; the storm had passed, and their nightmare was finally over.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Rigg," Oz said with a grin. Rigg grumbled happily, then busting out in a jolly roar. It was his way of saying, "You'll never have to."


	3. The PokeCircus

"Alright, guys, have at!" The whole team stood at the gates to the amusement park, The PokéCircus. "See the big clock tower? Be back here at six o'clock, when the hands are straight up and down. Now, shoo!" Oz's companions sped off in all directions, each heading for some special attraction or another, except for one Pokémon, who stood still at the gate with a perplexed expression upon his face.

"What's wrong, Nyx?" the trainer asked, placing a hand on his Weavile's shoulder. Nyx's arms were perched upon his hips, his head tilted and eyes wandering over the park. "Would you like to just come with me?" Oz offered, sensing his Pokémon's hesitance. Nyx looked up with a forced smile and a shake of his head, then suddenly taking off down the main thoroughfare with astonishing speed. Oz watched as he turned a sharp corner and disappeared, a knowing smile on his lips.

Nyx was not comfortable in this place. It was crowded with people and Pokémon running around on the loose, flashing lights and loud noises everywhere; it was, in a word, chaos. Nyx was a serious, orderly Weavile who liked the quiet, the times when the world just slowed to a crawl. His idea of fun was playing a game with his family of companions, sitting and listening to his master's voice reading to them, and just walking the road in silent bliss. Even when he battled, Nyx could center himself and find a quiet zone, but places like this amusement park were too disorderly for a Pokémon like Nyx. However, he was willing to suffer for a few hours if it meant that his friends would enjoy themselves.

He caught himself still running at top speed and skidded to a halt, resigned to at least take in the sights while willing the clock hands to move faster for once. As it happened, he'd stopped himself by an attraction called "The Strong 'Mon!" and found a familiar face. The surrounding signs depicted a Machamp flexing his four arms, but the stage currently held a straining Machoke facing off against the main muscles of Oz's team, Rigg the Feraligatr. Off to the side, a Machop sat dejectedly, holding an icepack against one swollen eye, and the Machamp from the signs stood with both pairs of arms crossed tightly over his bulging chest.

Nyx managed to weed his way through the crowd to the foot of the stage just as Rigg used his tail to sweep the Machoke's feet out from under him, landing the Fighting-type Pokémon outside the blue circle they stood in. A Chimecho and Chingling dinged noisily together, and the Machoke crawled off to the side, sitting next to the Machop and pushing icepacks against the backs of his legs. As Rigg roared to the crowd in victory, the Machamp moved into the ring without a sound. The big croc caught eye of him and stuck out a claw to shake before the match, but his opponent aggressively smacked it away. Nyx immediately knew that was a mistake he would pay for. Rigg emitted a low grumble, planting his feet and flexing his jaw dangerously.

"Go, Rigg!" called out an unmistakable voice from somewhere in the mob of spectators. That was the last bit of encouragement he needed, and the Feraligatr lunged with his huge maw agape. The Machamp barely reacted in time, two hands thrust out to brace against his attacker's shoulders and two to hold open the giant trap poised on either side of his head. Rigg's eyes gleamed evilly as he then began to ratchet his jaw closed. The Machamp looked suddenly panicked, his two companions on the side wide-eyed in disbelief. The crowd was getting louder and louder, whooping and whistling as the trap closed little by little. The four-armed Pokémon now had two hands on each jaw, the sheer weight of Rigg's strength forcing him down to one knee and then both knees.

Nyx smirked and turned his back, making his way to the main path. He walked no more than a few feet from the attraction before he heard a satisfying _snap_ , an intense howl of pain, and the crowd roaring. The Weavile chuckled to himself before speeding off again to find some other amusement.

He slowed to a trot when he reached an area much less crowded, spotting another of his companions at the end of the street. It was the food district, and Gaia the Torterra was stamping happily at a Cottonee Candy vendor. The vendor was a particularly vivacious Whimsicott, the mass of cotton sprouting from her head and back caked with blue and pink sugar clumps as she hovered on a step ladder over a motorized vat of candy. The colors swirled round and round, and the little Pokémon bounced to the whirring rhythm as she gathered a generous amount of candy on a stick several times her size. Once the stick had a giant ball of fluffy sweetness on its end, the Whimsicott stuck it in the ground and hummed as she bustled around it, sculpting it into shape. When she'd finished, the dual colored mass had been transformed into the perfect countenance of a Cottonee.

Gaia bellowed gleefully and nuzzled the little vendor in gratitude, her happy stomps shaking the entire area as she turned to nibble at her treat. The Whimsicott leaned against her stand, seemingly exhausted, until she caught sight of Nyx watching amusedly. She spun once, a small breeze lifting her onto the ladder. Before he could stop her, the vendor grabbed a stick and was already spearing it into the vat to make another goody. It was just as much of a masterpiece as the first, though smaller so Nyx could carry it around with him. He inclined his head by way of thanks, and the Windveiled Pokémon blushed bashfully, touching at her cotton hair and accidentally spreading more candy through it.

After patting Gaia on her carapace as she hummed and cooed over her yummy prize, Nyx walked away leisurely, enjoying his own immensely sweet Cottonee Candy and curious as to where his other companions were. He started to step out onto another street when a parade blasted around the corner without warning. Glaring at the festive caravan for almost making him drop his candy, he took note of the participants. There were several Mr. Mimes juggling bright orbs of psychic energy, Sudowoodos dancing jerkily to the beat pounded by a drum line of Aipoms and Mankeys, and a bearded Jynx riding a float and lewdly blowing kisses at passersby. An elegant Gardevoir walked by at a slow gait, bedecked in jewelry marking her as a fortune teller, and she was flanked by two Banettes floating along like living puppets.

In the musical section of the parade, a Loudred struggled with his instrument, a tuba that wrapped around his frame with the bell aiming upward. He fiddled with the keys, shook it violently, and then finally resolved to blow into the mouthpiece as hard as he could. With a blast of music, a furry and winged creature burst from the horn with a huge grin on her face. The Swoobat called Flutter darted in and out of the line, causing as much mischief as possible. Several Pokémon performers stumbled as she buzzed by, the drummers' sticks were brushed out of their hands, and the amorous Jynx began pulling at her long beard in distress.

Nyx shook his head as he looked on at the pandemonium Flutter was causing, sure that Oz would be very unhappy should he see this. Though he dearly loved his companion, it grated on Nyx how the mischievous Swoobat never considered the consequences. She never meant any harm, but her pranks often caused plenty of trouble, trouble that Nyx took upon himself to make Flutter clean up. This time, he was tempted to sit out, that is until she accidentally tripped the Gardevoir fortune teller.

With a fury belied by her appearance, the Psychic Pokémon's eyes blazed as her Banette companions helped her to her feet. A hush fell over the crowd of performers as the parade ended abruptly in the middle of the street. Flutter, however, was oblivious, still flipping and flitting about, when a pink blast of energy whizzed by her. She stopped dead in the air, facing the firer of the Psychic bolt; the Gardevoir stood with her outstretched palm sizzling and a glare on her face. Flutter flashed a toothy grin and chuckled playfully, which only served to further infuriate the circus Pokémon and her puppet guards. Nyx determined it was finally time to intervene, tossing away the stick from his candy and stepping in between his companion and her opponents. The fortune teller clenched her fists in further indignation, her Psychic energy whirling around her menacingly. She signaled curtly to the Banettes, and the two floated toward Flutter, pulsing with Ghostly energy.

In the end, the impromptu battle was quick and easy. The onlookers cheered as Flutter dodged nimbly around her attackers, downing one with a sharp and unhindered Acrobatic flip in a matter of seconds. The other Banette threw blue Will-o-Wisp flames at her, but she was far too fast for them to come anywhere close to landing. Finally, she flipped around and finished off her attacker with a Psychic blast shaped like a heart. Nyx's battle with the Gardevoir went just as smoothly. All of her attacks glanced off of the Dark-type Weavile, who zipped back forth in her path and struck at her with Night Slashes. It didn't take long at all before the hot-tempered Psychic was finally cooled down with a knock-out Ice Punch.

The Gardevoir slumped to the ground, the two Banettes having fallen near her. A man dressed in a black tailcoat and top hat emerged from the crowd and smiled mysteriously. He withdrew three Pokéballs and contained the downed performers, waving at Nyx and Flutter and disappearing off into the crowd a moment later. The parade started back up as if nothing had happened while the two victors looked at each other in bewilderment. Flutter quickly shrugged it off, though, and went to take flight again, but Nyx grabbed her by the tail and pulled her down to his level. He gave her a stern look and pointed an icy claw at her, but she squeaked playfully and bumped his cheek with her heart-shaped nose, winking as she flitted away to probably get into more trouble.

Nyx moved on at a stride, his blood pumping from the battle. He turned a few corners and found himself in the arcade alley, spotting a large yellow and violet spider he recognized at a game booth. The attraction was entitled "Sitting Duckletts," and Ohm the Galvantula chittered at its owner impatiently. An officious Swanna ran the game with her brood of Duckletts paddling about a large tub of water within the booth. The White Bird Pokémon was squawking at Ohm and pointing toward a sign with "2 Players" scrawled upon it. Ohm squinted all 6 of her eyes and hissed unhappily, but she caught sight of Nyx standing by curiously. She hooked him with one of her mandibles and pulled him unceremoniously to her side, presenting him as her second player for the game. The Swanna rolled her eyes and honked derisively, shooing her young up onto platforms with targets hung beneath them. She pointed with her wing at the bull's eye below one particularly pudgy Ducklett and nodded vigorously, then pointing at the fat Water Bird himself and shaking her head slowly.

As Nyx understood it, the object of the game was to shoot the target beneath the little platforms while trying not to hit the Duckletts. This sounded easy enough, but Ohm's hastiness would prove problematic if she went about the task guns blazing like she often did. As soon as the Swanna quacked to signal the game's commencement, the Galvantula was true to form and raised her rump over her head in a flash, releasing an Electroweb at one of the higher targets. The web expanded from a single string to a full net in midair, but Nyx swiftly flung an Ice Shard to intercept the web's path, saving a very nervous Ducklett from a sticky electrocution.

Ohm made a sighing hiss of disappointment, but Nyx ignored her and threw another Ice Shard at the same target, striking the bull's eye dead center. The platform dropped suddenly and dumped its Ducklett into the tub below. The Pokémon quacked and flounced happily in the water, and his siblings began squeaking in anticipation. Ohm fidgeted eagerly, now understanding the rules and ready to go. She looked pleadingly at Nyx, as though asking for permission. The Weavile raised an eyebrow at her and prepared a frosted claw; Ohm immediately recognized his challenge and clicked excitedly, poising her posterior once again.

Nyx began flinging Ice Shards with amazing precision, Ohm rapidly firing electric webbing at the targets. The Duckletts plunked into the water in quick succession, and the game ended as the two hit the last target simultaneously. Though her young splashed around cheerily, the Swanna's wings were folded back and placed on her hips, an extremely grumpy look on her billed face. Begrudgingly, she honked at one of her Duckletts who flapped over to a rack of stuffed prizes, grabbing the largest one between his webbed feet and tossing it to the winners. Nyx caught it in his claws carefully, smirking and offering the giant plushy Pokéball to Ohm. She snatched Nyx himself up in her mandibles, hugged him tightly, and jumped up and down with glee. Blushing awkwardly, Nyx pushed himself out of the fuzzy spider's grasp and firmly handed her the prize, which she squeezed happily. Ohm chittered a final note of gratitude and skittered off further into the arcade, searching for another game to best.

As he began to wander again, Nyx wondered where he might encounter the last member of the team. Unintentionally, he began to search the park, retracing his steps and catching glimpses of the companions he had already encountered. Finally, he moved back into the park far enough to reach the base of the clock tower. Nyx noticed that the hands read 5 o'clock before he entered the large doors and began ascending the wide steps that spiraled against the outer wall of the building. The climb was long, and the Pokémon was slightly winded by the time he reached the top. He stopped to breathe for a moment, taking note of the Klinks, Klangs, and one central Klingklang working busily as gears to keep the giant timepiece in motion. They worked with an amazing efficiency and precision, one that actually reminded Nyx of his team and how well they all were in synch with one another. It was then that he was sure he'd come to the right place in search of his friend.

On the wide balcony that sat just below the clock face, Caesar the Arcanine lay on his stomach in a classic Guardian Shisa pose, eyes scanning the park imperiously. Nyx felt the enormous dog would look much more regal sans the Cottonee Candy stick protruding from his mouth like a large toothpick, the attraction prize medals hanging from his neck, and the clumps of confetti lodged in his fur. However, Caesar looked contented, snorting once and then chewing on the sugar-coated stick some more. If he had sensed Nyx's presence, he didn't telegraph it; he just sat and gazed. The Weavile perched on a ledge nearby and tried to follow Caesar's sightline, homing his sharp eyes in on the target.

Oz was strolling through the park thoroughfare with several items in his arms and a goofy grin on his face. Nyx theorized that he was picking up gifts and memorabilia for them and the others, which the watchful duo considered thoughtful but entirely unnecessary. The two of them continued to watch their trainer move about the park, seated high up on the perfect vantage point. Soon, Nyx's eyelids began to droop, the day's excitement finally catching up to him. He could feel his body wobbling precariously on the ledge, but before he could risk toppling over, Caesar calmly and carefully grabbed him by the scruff. Ordinarily, Nyx would have struggled with being handled so, but his tiredness subdued him as Caesar slung his small frame over his shoulder. Now cushioned by warm fur, Nyx snuggled in and fell asleep, intent on staying that way until time to regroup with the master.

It seemed mere moments later that Nyx was being jarred awake by the tolling of the tower's bells. Sleepily, he gazed up to see two Bronzongs swinging forward and backward, using their Psychic abilities to amplify the ringing across the park. He then focused on the large clock face, and the two hands were completely vertical, like a great dividing line down the timepiece. Slowly, the realization that it was six o'clock came to him, and then a near panic descended. He rolled over and clutched Caesar's fur, peering across the park to see Oz and the other four Pokémon quickly approaching the front gates. The Bronzongs tolled a third time, and Ceasar stood, preparing himself for a lunge. Nyx grabbed desperately at the Legend Pokémon's fur to hang on, and Caesar launched himself and his passenger into the air, stories above the park. Nyx screwed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth in expectation of a disastrous impact, but instead he felt a light collision and the sensation that they were floating. Peeking through his eyelashes, he discovered that Caesar had landed and sprawled upon a grandly decorated Drifblim adorned with tassels and bells hanging from her four appendages. Though she huffed slightly under their weight, the circus Blimp Pokémon didn't seem to mind quickly ferrying her riders to the front gates. Once she had descended to a safe height, Caesar leapt to the ground and sounded a grateful bark, trotting up to the team just as the sixth bell rang.

"I didn't know you could ride the Drifblim," Oz said with an awed smile, setting down his gifts and hugging Caesar about his neck. "You doing okay, Nyx?" he asked the Pokémon still clinging to his companion's back. Gently, Oz took him down and stood him on solid concrete, ruffling Nyx's feathered head affectionately. "Did you at least have fun?"

Nyx looked at each of his teammates carefully, studying them and reliving the moments he'd spent with them in the park. Finally, he stared into Oz's expectant face and couldn't help smiling broadly and winking one eye. Though he had not at all expected it, Nyx had indeed enjoyed himself more than ever at The PokéCircus.

As the team walked away from the park with their prizes and goodies, they heard a sharp whistle behind them. Standing in the gateway, the mysterious man in the tailcoat and top hat waved broadly, flanked by two unforgettable faces. A Machamp stood by with his arms crossed, his head wrapped in gauze, and a Gardevoir glared at them balefully. The man nudged her, and she stepped forward and lifted her hand into the air, firing a beam into the sky. In midair, the beam burst into a firework, and the image it outlined was of Oz and the team. The display didn't crackle and fade away immediately, though, but hung above the gates for a time. Oz smiled appreciatively and waved back before turning and leading his companions onward.


End file.
